Jamie Payne has been banned for two years after testing positive for prohibited substances at the 2007 Carifta Trials.

On Saturday, March 17, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, the 18-year-old sprinter finished third in the boys' under-20 100 metres final in a wind-assisted 10.56 seconds. He was subsequently tested, and his urine sample contained stanozolol and an elevated testosterone/epitestosterone (T/E) ratio.

Both testosterone and epitestosterone are naturally produced by the body, and on average the ratio is one to one. The ratio increases, however, if testosterone is taken. The presence of a ratio greater than four to one in a competitor's urine constitutes an offence.

Stanozolol is the same prohibited substance that was used by disgraced Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson. After winning the men's 100m final at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea in a world record time of 9.79 seconds, Johnson's urine samples were found to contain stanozolol. He was stripped of both the gold medal and the world record. Johnson also lost his 1987 100m world title, after admitting to steroid-use at the time of his triumph

In a statement, on the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) website, the sport's world governing body announced that "in conformity with the IAAF Rules", Payne received the following sanction from the National Amateur Athletic Association (NAAA)--"2 years ineligibility (22.05.07 - 21.05.09)" and "disqualification of all results from 17.03.07".

Payne, who represented Arima-based club Biomel at the 2007 Carifta Trials, was part of the Trinidad and Tobago boys' under-20 4x100m team that earned silver at the Carifta Games, in the Turks and Caicos Islands, in April.

If, as expected, Team T&T are stripped of the sprint relay silver, the country's overall Carifta 2007 tally will drop from 37 medals to 36 (seven gold, 13 silver, 16 bronze). With the 37 medals, the 2007 team surpassed T&T's largest-ever Carifta haul of 36, a feat achieved at the 2005 Games, in Tobago. However, as a result of Payne's positive test and the inevitable loss of the relay silver, the 2007 and 2005 teams will share the "most prolific" honour.

NAAA secretary Alan Baboolal told the Express, yesterday, that his organisation had been informed of Payne's positive drug test before the Carifta Games.

"...but he could not be suspended before completion of the process."

The NAAA secretary said that Payne's positive test is a disturbing development.

"We are very concerned. I don't think it's Payne alone. This instance involved somebody else. In Payne's discourse he reiterated that there are other athletes involved, but he hasn't officially implicated anyone else. He can come back. It's not the NAAA against Jamie Payne. He's found himself in a situation...he's a victim.

"Payne requested a hearing," Baboolal continued. "He appeared before a tribunal set up by the NAAA, attending with two lawyers. He denied ever taking anything, and said he did not know how the drugs got into his system. That reason was not good enough."

Biomel coach Merril Simon has vehemently denied that his young charge is a drug cheat.

"Jamie never took any banned substance," Simon told the Express, yesterday. "He learned to run correctly. I have a doctorate in sports medicine...that's where Jamie got his form from. He never took any drugs. Jamie would have been one of the best sprinters in the world, but the NAAA supports certain athletes in Trinidad."

Simon contended that Payne's positive drug test was part of a plot to "close down" his club.

"The NAAA have targeted Jamie. He got set up. We did two other drug tests, the week after and then two weeks after, and there were no drugs in his system. They want to separate him from me."

Simon said Payne had moved to the United States in 2006, but came back home this year to train with Biomel. According to the coach, the young sprinter has since returned to the US.

Back in 1996, asthma medication led to a positive test for T&T quarter-miler Hayden Stephen. Since the IAAF had never received official notification of Stephen's asthmatic condition, he was banned for 90 days and missed the Atlanta Olympics.

And then, in 2001, Ato Boldon's use of the cold medicine Nyquil resulted in a positive test for the banned stimulant ephedrine. The quadruple Olympic medallist received a public warning from the IAAF.

Payne's "positive", however, is far more serious than both Stephen's and Boldon's, the two-year ban for stanozolol and testosterone reflecting the severity of the offence.

ah just notice this""Jamie never took any banned substance," Simon told the Express, yesterday. "He learned to run correctly. I have a doctorate in sports medicine...that's where Jamie got his form from. He never took any drugs. Jamie would have been one of the best sprinters in the world, but the NAAA supports certain athletes in Trinidad."Simon contended that Payne's positive drug test was part of a plot to "close down" his club. "The NAAA have targeted Jamie. He got set up. We did two other drug tests, the week after and then two weeks after, and there were no drugs in his system. They want to separate him from me." "

« Last Edit: September 19, 2007, 06:08:40 AM by WestCoast »

Logged

Whatever you do, do it to the purpose; do it thoroughly, not superficially. Go to the bottom of things. Any thing half done, or half known, is in my mind, neither done nor known at all. Nay, worse, for it often misleads. Lord Chesterfield(1694 - 1773)

Nah TNT has no labs so tests usually take a long time they probably went to the lab at UCLA so it's not like they knew and just sent him, knowing. Those tests can take months to come back like that....only at a championships are samples tested quickly.

Nah TNT has no labs so tests usually take a long time they probably went to the lab at UCLA so it's not like they knew and just sent him, knowing. Those tests can take months to come back like that....only at a championships are samples tested quickly.

Umm...that's not what Baboolal says

NAAA secretary Alan Baboolal told the Express, yesterday, that his organisation had been informed of Payne's positive drug test before the Carifta Games.

Umm...that's not what Baboolal saysNAAA secretary Alan Baboolal told the Express, yesterday, that his organisation had been informed of Payne's positive drug test before the Carifta Games. "...but he could not be suspended before completion of the process."

ah, Red Tape

Logged

Whatever you do, do it to the purpose; do it thoroughly, not superficially. Go to the bottom of things. Any thing half done, or half known, is in my mind, neither done nor known at all. Nay, worse, for it often misleads. Lord Chesterfield(1694 - 1773)

No one is "positive" before the 'B' sample is tested, ala Marion Jones or Bernard Lagat for example. SO they get a thing saying this guy's A is positive before Carifta that means nothing....he is not officially positive yet....and they cant keep him out either...only after the B is positive is it s positive test.

B drops on the floor or B is negative or B is inconclusive, test over, and no positive - but I agree for young kids yet alone adults to be on these hard core steroids is really really serious.